From the Underground
by Elodie the Scribe
Summary: Darcy visits a certain trickster god, but she's not exactly feeling herself. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: Of course I don't own The Avengers or Thor. Of Course.

* * *

**From the Underground**

It was just another day at work when quite suddenly, Darcy Lewis seemed to jump in her seat as if startled by something. Jane Foster looked over curiously, lips twitching in hesitant amusement. "Whoa. You okay there, Darcy?"

Darcy was quiet for several seconds. Jane was starting to feel horrible for almost laughing at her, dread washing over her, when Darcy spun the seat around and gave a small smile. "I'm good, bossy lady." she said, pushing her reading glasses up her nose. "But can I be excused for a sec or two? Because I totally think those tacos we had are disagreeing with me. As in the barfing kind of disagreeing."

Jane did in fact notice that Darcy's face was sweaty and pale. "Yikes. It might be more than just the tacos," Jane said, eyes widening slightly. "Okay. You can go to the bathroom. If you need to go home, just text me on your way out."

"You sure?" Darcy said, leaning forward in her seat.

"Oh, definitely sure," Jane nodded. "I can handle this stuff. I don't want you around my equipment if you're going to puke on it, anyway."

"Gee, thanks," Darcy scoffed, but she grinned as she jumped up to grab her things.

Jane watched as Darcy walked towards the door, smiling slightly. "And if you do throw up, remember: cold wet washrag either on your forehead or the back of your neck, and drink some water in _small_ sips."

"Yes, mother," Darcy called just as the doors shut close behind her.

Jane thought it a touch odd that those last words had been spoken with some sort of accent, but hey, it was Darcy. She rolled her eyes, smirking just the tiniest bit, and went back to work.

* * *

Darcy did indeed walk into the girl's bathroom that happened to be on that floor of the Avengers' tower.

But she did not throw up.

She didn't even go into a stall. She just leaned against the counter and waited. After fifteen minutes, she exited the bathroom and headed to the elevator. She went down to the bottom floor and exited the tower.

Once outside, she began to walk.

She walked for quite some time; New York City was a huge place. Finally she reached a nice apartment building, five stories high and utterly enormous. It took some effort, but she managed to get to the third floor with no one noticing. She approached room 313 and knocked.

No one replied. She rolled her eyes. He got so little visitors, he probably thought that had just been his imagination. She knocked again, louder this time. After a few seconds, there came the sound of several locks coming undone before the door swung open.

It was Loki.

He looked torn between fury and utter confusion. "Do I know you?" he snapped.

"Oh, come now," Darcy said, voice dripping with venom and that strange accent. "Surely you recognize your darling daughter?"

It was at that moment that the god realized the girl had the same eye color as he did, an unnatural, acidic green. His shock was so great he stepped back, and not-Darcy took her chance to step inside his apartment.

His apartment was nice, she guessed. Nice big windows, a decently well-sized television, a rather expensive-looking waffle maker on the kitchen counter. She was tempted to sit on the couch-or rather, move all those maps and blueprints and other junk to hopefully find a cushion-but she knew her hold on this body wouldn't last long.

Loki slammed the door and finally found his voice. "Hel. What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Father," she said, glaring out one of the windows.

"You can't have just come to visit me," he hissed without hesitation, coming closer. "I know how hard possession can be. Especially when you're not even in the same realm...?"

It was a question, not a statement. She scowled. "Yes, Father, I've kept my real body in the Domain of the Dead like a good little girl. I haven't found some way to escape, so no need to be so upset."

She looked away again. Breathing had become difficult. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. She could sense him standing just behind her. "Whose body is this, anyway?"

"Darcy Lewis. She works for Jane Foster, Thor's lover. She met Thor when he was banished to his realm," she said before turning sharply to him. "And if you dare hurt her, I can guarantee this apartment and every living place you flee to will be haunted by a thousand spirits at least. I _like_ this mortal."

Loki snorted, then stood beside her. They both looked out the window at the busy city street. It was six o'clock, the golden hour. "I'll take a wild guess and say that you must have very important news to personally come to me instead of sending one of those spirits."

"Yes," Hel sighed, concern replacing her irritation somewhat. "Fenrir is missing."

He turned towards her very sharply. "He...he broke the ribbon...? But that means..."

"He was kidnapped," Hel corrected. "You don't need to worry about Ragnorak just yet. I don't see why you do-I thought the Asgardian scholars already disproved that one."

Loki's response was only a shocked, "Kidnapped?"

She nodded. "The sentries guarding him were murdered and one of them apparently wasn't worthy of the halls of Valhalla. He told me about the attack, although he didn't know just who the attackers were. I had some spirits investigate Fenrir's keeping place; Odin and some of his men were there as well. There were signs of struggle where Fenrir had once laid-but no sign of the ribbon."

She paused to let him absorb that information. "Fenrir has much power," she then continued. "Someone could be seeking to take it away from him. Or worse."

Hel slowly looked at him. He was staring out the window, frowning. "But who would be able to get into Asgard and untie the ribbon from the stones Gjoll and Thviti? Who could murder Odin's guards?"

"I know not," she said, shaking her head. "Although the Asgardians probably know better. I just thought you should know since he may have been taken to this realm and also since he's your son, but...well. I know how much _that_ matters to you."

Now Loki looked down at her. "Fenrir is a monster. A savage beast, always hungry and uncontrollable."

"So Odin was wise to chain him up just because of some outdated prophesy?" Hel demanded. "Did you ever even visit him at all? You realize only Tyr ever fed him."

"Yes, and Fenrir repaid his kindness by biting his right hand off," Loki shot back.

Hel snorted. "Sounds like something you'd do. Maybe that's where Fenrir got it from. Look at you-you left your children to rot just because Odin said so, because you were _so_ righteous. Now what's your excuse?"

"Don't pretend to be so much better," Loki growled at her. "I know what you do to souls who you deem 'bad people'."

"Yes, it's amazing what boredom will make you do. Boredom of spending ages in that horrid stinking cave with no one to talk to except the damned," she spat out, losing control for only just moment.

She took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. When next she spoke, her voice was much weaker. "I am forbidden from Asgard and the other realms, Father. But you were never forbidden from my-from the Domain of the Dead."

To her horror, she could feel her eyes filling with hot, prickly tears. She furiously wiped them away. "Even after you turned your back on Odin, you never..."

She jerked suddenly, as if startled. "Oh. Oops," she grunted.

Then the green faded from her eyes and Darcy Lewis collapsed to the ground.

"This is unpleasant," she muttered after several uncomfortable seconds, blinking rapidly as her brain reworked itself.

She had been completely aware of everything during the possession. She remembered all that had happened. With a groan she sat up, staring up at Loki warily. The god stared at her intensely with a look that she couldn't really describe.

When he started towards her, she jerked away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said. "She-she said not to make me forget this conversation or anything. That, uh, that she needs me to tell Thor about Fenrir."

At his skeptical gaze, she added, "She said the code word is 'Angrbooa'."

For a split second, his eyes twitched into a terrifying glare. Then he huffed and snatched her hand. She yelped as he jerked her to to her feet, and she felt a nasty cold shock shoot up her arm, her shoulder, and behind her eyes.

She cringed, but he released her and jabbed a finger at the door. "Leave. _Now_."

"Yes, sir," she said quickly, scrambling away. "Nice meeting you, sir."

Yet upon opening the door, she paused. Looking over her shoulder, she added, "I'm surprised she still calls you Father."

And she shut the door in his stupid gaping face.

* * *

By the time she got back to the Avengers', she still remembered Loki and his daughter's conversation-but had somehow, someway forgotten Loki's apartment number, or the fact that he lived in an apartment. She told Thor about Hel's visit and Fenrir's kidnapping, but could give no information on where Loki's little lair was. That would explain the shock his touch gave her, she supposed. She also decided to run by the library on the way home tp pick up a book or two about Norse mythology.

In another dimension, in a large smelly cavern, a young girl curled up in her throne and wept. There was no other sound but the moans of the dead.

* * *

_Because I wanted to write something Avengers-y. _

_Anyway, to help you understand the mythology mentioned here better:_

_**Hel** is the goddess of the dead. Her realm is the Domain of the Dead, which is beneath the Tree of Life's roots.  
_

_**Fenrir** is a giant wolf who doesn't stop growing. The ribbon mentioned in the story was the only thing that the gods could use to bind him.  
_

_**Ragnorak** is the prophesied end of the world. Part of the prophesy is that Fenrir will break his binds and kill Odin.  
_

_**Angrbooa **is a frost giantess and the mother of Fenrir, Hel, and the Midgard Serpent. Unfortunately, I've butchered her name because of lack of symbols. Look up her name on Wikipedia to see how it's properly spelled.  
_

_Please tell me of any mistakes I've made-characterization, mythology, narration, anything. I'd appreciate it a lot. Hope you enjoyed this!_


End file.
